Paul Parsons, dean of the School of Communications, attended the 2008 New Media Academic Summit in Chicago focusing on blogs, twitters, wikis and other social media being used in business, journalism and politics.
Steve Grove, director of news and politics for YouTube, told the summit that social media networks based on content will last, since content generators and content users both need a network in the middle. He said networks based solely on relationships will come and go.
Other speakers included Alexandra Wheeler, director of digital strategy for Starbucks; Richard Tofel, general manager of the independent online newsroom ProPublica; Jay Bernhardt, director for health marketing at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Marc Monseau, director of corporate communications for Johnson & Johnson; Matt Anchin, vice president for online communications for American Express; Paul Smyke, senior adviser for the World Economic Forum; and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
“My biggest takeaway,” Parsons said, “is that every company is now a media company because of the Web. Companies are communicating with customers in new and direct ways. The old model was through advertising as a paid message. The new model emphasizes public relations more than advertising. Companies are using social media to build conversation and an online sense of community.”